Magistrate Mpundu acts to protect society from people who have turned crime into a profession

CHIPATA Magistrate Philip Mpundu says it is important to protect society from people who have taken crime as a profession.
Passing judgment in a matter where George Phiri 22, of Mchini Compound was charged with two counts of breaking into a building and committing
a felony and failing to account for possession of property believed to have been unlawfully obtained on Friday, magistrate Mpundu said Phiri must be punished to realise his wrongs.
â€œFrom the cases on record, you had engaged in crime as a profession. You stole on 21 July 2018 and you went on to steal in September 2018,â€�
he said.
In the first count, Phiri was charged with failing to account for possession of property believed to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.
He was found with a Dell computer monitor and one Television believed to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained on July 21, 2018.
In count two, Phiri was charged with breaking into a building and committing a felony therein.
He broke into the shop of Paul Situmbeko and stole assorted groceries valued at K1,779 on September 17, 2018.
In count three, Phiri broke into Robert Kumwendaâ€™s poultry with intent to steal and did steal there in one generator set, 12 chickens and 15
trays of eggs, all valued at K11,380.
Phiri pleaded guilty to the second charge in September and was subsequently slapped with a five-year jail sentence on September 28, 2018.
And on Friday, magistrate Mpundu convicted Phiri in the other two counts and jailed him five years in each of the counts which will run concurrently but consecutive with the earlier sentence.
In mitigation, Phiri said confessed that he was wrong to do what he did and that there would be no one to take care of his family if he was sent to jail.
Magistrate Mpundu said Phiri committed a very serious crime.
â€œAs for the suffering of your family, you should have foreseen all that before committing the offence. To act as a deterrent and to make you realise your wrong, you are to be punished to protect society,â€� said magistrate Mpundu.